Chalk up another award for Duane Akina. Chalk up another award for the Texas Longhorns. Oh yeah, you can chalk up another award for Aaron Ross.

Ross, the Longhorns' playmaking senior cornerback, was named the 2006 Jim Thorpe Award winner on Thursday night, given to the nation's top defensive back. Ross becomes the second consecutive Longhorn to win the award, following in the footsteps of current Oakland Raider Michael Huff, who was honored last season. Ross won out over Florida's Reggie Nelson and Michigan's Leon Hall.

"I just feel unbelievably blessed to have won the Thorpe Award," said Ross. "I'm overwhelmed. It's such a great honor that is named after the greatest athlete of all time and has been won by so many great players. I can't begin to say how humbling it is to join such a prestigious group."

Heading into the season, safety Michael Griffin was thought to be Texas' best hopes to win the Thorpe Award, but Ross cemented his status as the team's top defensive back with several big plays over the course of the year, including a team high five interceptions and 18 pass break-ups (Griffin was second with nine).